Tribute to News staff
I know there are many like myself, who are very grateful to Southwark News, particularly when vulnerable people are involved.
Doing their job, always wanting a great story, they created their own one. It can only be described as a sensational one! To achieve their fundraising target for the Evelina Children’s Hospital, they have climbed mountains, swum the channel, run in the desert, and risked ridicule by doing the Full Monty.
And these are just some of the things they have done. I am sure there are many like myself, who would like to show our respect by saying well done. But they deserve a bit more than that, they would like us to put our hands in our pockets, and find a few more quid to achieve their goal. Then they can have a well deserved rest.
I feel very humble just being able to put my hand in my pocket.
Tom White, Southwark Pensioners Action Group
Editorial note: We have now hit our target, thanks to generous donations this week, but readers can still support the good work of Evelina.
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You are misinformed Cllr Stephanie Cryan
As one of the leaseholders featured in last week’s article ‘£2k bills potholes – residents dismayed at cost for road resurfacing’ I have to respond to Councillor Stephanie Cryan’s response to Southwark News.
Cllr Cryan’s claim that all residents’ concerns that were submitted were responded to in full at the time is untrue in my case.
I sent in observations referencing photo evidence from 1998 showing the then disrepair of the roadway.
Had full resurfacing been done then, costs would have been much lower. I requested a discount on the basis of that evidence due to historical disrepair.
I offered to show these photos for inspection . The response I received made no mention of any of this, it was totally innocuous. Therefore in my opinion Cllr Cryan has been misinformed.
All of us twelve leaseholders would like to meet with Cllr Cryan so we can put our case for a reduction in costs and for her to see the evidence mentioned.
If her advisers had given her everyone’s concerns she could have responded more accurately. They obviously failed to give my submission to her.
All the leaseholders have signed an agreement for me to represent a challenge to our costs.
John Kibble, Nunhead
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What Brexit means
Tory MEP Syed Kamall asked for opinions for his survey last week.
Here are mine:
One: The NHS and social care are in crisis because it is being set up for privatisation. Instead the government should immediately fulfil the referendum promise that £350 million per week be invested in the NHS, or people will think that this promise was just fake news.
Two: Brexit caused a drop in sterling that is raising prices across the board and as we were promised a rosy economic future under Brexit all workers should be granted substantial wage rises above inflation (backdated to 23 June 2016) before the greedy spivs who run the UK economy take any economic growth just to buy more corporate jets or luxury yachts. This will also keep ordinary people out of the hands of loan sharks (back street or high street ones) and lessen the need for food banks.
Three: The UK government should now ban all persons and companies that cannot prove where their money comes from, or who actually owns them, from buying property in the UK. One development in the Old Kent Road even advertises its sales phone number with the international code and not a UK number. Let’s keep corruption out of the UK.
Mr Kamall is of course quite welcome to input my comments into his survey and I am sure that he will be listening to ordinary people and not just the greedy elite in UK boardrooms.
Mick Larkin, Walworth
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Child carers need help
Every day, many thousands of children in London sacrifice their time to take care of loved ones at home.
While their peers are out playing and having fun being children, they’re busy providing physical and emotional support to a family member.
Finding time to do their homework alongside household chores such as cooking and cleaning can be difficult, and some also have to help manage the family’s bills.
Many of these young people are deeply affected by their responsibilities. More than half of young carers’ parents say their children have missed school. Young carers are also more likely to suffer from mental health issues and report having trouble making friends.
Through Barnardo’s young carers’ services we give these children and young people the support they need. They meet others in the same situations, get professional support, and have a precious few hours every week to enjoy being children again.
We let them know they don’t have to cope with the pressures of a caring role on their own.
A recent survey by the Department for Education found nearly two thirds (64%) of all young carers were not receiving any support. Many schools may not even be aware some of their pupils are under extra pressure at home.
Although government policy changes in recent years have been a step in the right direction in identifying and recognising young carers, too many are still slipping through the net. No child should ever have to cope alone.
Lynn Gradwell, Director, Barnardo’s London